Automobile race track roundabout



March 16, 1954 L. u. EYERLY AUTOMOBILE RACE TRACK ROUNDABOUT Filed March 29, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet l ,4 v-v-c/F/vav L. U. EYERLY AUTOMOBILE RACE TRACK ROUNDABOUT March 16, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1952 N TUE ELY March 1954 u. EYERLY AUTOMOBILE RACE TRACK ROUNDABOUT 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed March 29, 1952 A TTU/ /v/iW Marchlfi, 1954 L. U. EYERLY AUTOMOBILE RACE TRACK RQUNDABOUT Filed March 29, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A 7- "PUP/Viv Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED PATENT 2,672,339

ases mach ne-o ossum Lee Eyerly, Salem,-- reg.- nfiiiiitstiifiimeiite, 1952. Seriali fdflziyiaiifi' (c1. eve-=43) claims.

7 This invention relates generalljrtfc'i'aninseineiit devices and "particularly to an automobile race track. 7 I

, Themain'objec't of "thisinvention istopfovide an "automobile race "track for children "on which they'm'ay enjoy all ofthe'thri'llsof racing without any'da'nger of injury'tothein'selves or to" their cars.

The second objectisftofso construct the device that the racing cars may besteered by the drivers only when 'inmovemen't butcausingthe carto be automatically "steered been to the "inside fail at low'spee'ds where'it'nit'lst 'remainwhjile at rest.

A further-objectis to permit the driver'to steer the car back'and forth "radially while'causlng him to holdhis position around triet'r'ack; v

r accomplishth'e's'e and t her euiets in the manner set-forthinthe"followingspecificationsas illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which p Fig.1 is a fragmentary'plan 'of'the device'showing the variou's'p'ositions the "racing'car "may "as sunie. v

Fig. 2 is'aside'elevation of 'acai' at'ah'enlarg'ed scale.

} Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofthe 'hd'b'f a tow arm.

Fig. 4 is a perspectlveview' of "a-spnerieaicon motion for a steering link.

Fig.5 is a frontelevation.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the car.

Fig. 7 is'ase'c'tion taken along theline I1 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section taken alongthe line-"88 in Fig.5.

Fig. 9 is asection taken along'the line-9''9 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view in plan showing why the wheels are turned toward the inner rail when the car slows down.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the front axle looking forwardly from the drivers position.

Fig. 12 is a section through a wheel hub showing the bearings.

Fig. 13 is a section taken along the line l3-I3 in Fig. 10.

Fig. 14 is a horizontal longitudinal section through a modified form of tow arm.

Fig. 15 is a transverse section taken along the line l5! 5 in Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a transverse section taken along the line l6l 6 in Fig. 14.

Fig. 17 is a section taken along the line l1l| in Fig. 14,

Like numbers of reference refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring detail "to wire di awifrg s, tl rre is shown aJ ir C'IIIa-f tIPQ'GE Z as; he ififiefl if desired. Intheehfifdf -t ti 'aik zois =ai fiiib 2| on which is mounted a niotor fl and-reduction gearing" 2'3 whichterminatein tne statienar gear 24 within the housftig ii 'n-ny other mannr (if rotating "the hub -2 'coiild {l5 departing from the-spirit From the hub fl radiate lie 6 which is mounted the round 'guide io v each of which ism'ounteda -slide 28 *to' which-is attached a tow "rod- 29 by eansor a peit 30'.

The tow rod 2-9 slidaBly-fiasses -t 'ottgh -the to b'ular arm 3 lwhich' i's*attached te tne ear'spindie 32 'whichis' joined by the tie -tar tato the-arm of the spindle 35. The spindles-32fahii 35 haV the"wh'eel spindles 414 p oieeting -tnererremnn which are mounted the front wheels 3'! of the automobile 38.

The usual steering wh'e'e1 3 9 is- 'eenfiected'liy the steering wheel shaft "40 to the steeringarm- 4 I which is joine'olf-t'o thesteerin'g -link 4 2 hy tlie spherical connecting bolt 43i'shown in-Figfii.

The wheels 31' aremo'liiitd'on roller-bearings 43 which are supported b'y =-the spindles M, :as shown in Fig. 1 2".

InFig. 7 isslio'wna 'ci'o *setioir'o "the tastesing' of' the rear" axle -45 een tli' nflame parts 46 and llby means of a 10618; A

In *Fig; 8 i'ssho'wnhowthefiont axle -H is' held between the frame parts 50 and '5 I by boltsfiZ In'Fig. 9 is hown-a seetien tnrough thesteerhis: car "spindle 32 'and the lower portion 1 of its bearing '54-. I A shock absoibing sprin is piae'eu above each of thespiiidles 3rahti 35.

The steering" link 42 has attechedthereto, near its connection to the steering "arm 41-, 'atensioh spring 55 Whose opposite end is secured by a bolt 56 to the body 51 of the car.

A buffer spring 58 is placed on th tow rod 29 between the end of the steering link 42 and the adjacent end of the tubular arm 3|.

In Fig. 10 is shown, in full lines, a towing position and, in dotted lines, a rest position when the car is being towed by the tow bar. The tow arm 26 connects to the tow rod 29, which thrusts against the end of the tubular arm 3| of the car spindle 32. In this position, steering is accomplished by moving the steering arm 4|, which is secured to the steering wheel shaft 40. Movement of this lever is transferred to the wheel spindles 44 through the link 42 and the tie bar 33.

When the power is cut off, the momentum of the car causes the tow rod 29 to' move in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10 and the spring 55 urges the wheel spindles 44 toward the position shown causing the car to run to the inner edge of the track 20. When in this position, movement of the arm 4| has no effect on the wheel spindles 44 and they will remain in this position until the power is applied and the tow rod 29 again returns to the position shown in full lines; that is, while the car is being towed under the control of the operator.

In Figs. 14 to- 1'7, inclusive, is shown a preferred form of tow arm 26-A which is used in place of the arm 29 shown in the previous figures. The arm 26-A is tubular in form and is welded at one end to a tubular hub 59 which is hinged on the pin 65 mounted in the two lugs 6| on the hub 2|. A brace 62 is provided between the hub 59 and the outer end of the tow arm ZG-A which is radially positioned but can swing in a vertical plane.

Within the arm 26-A and against the hub 59 is placed a compression shock-absorbing spring 63 against which spring may rest a slotted head 64 in which is mounted a convex faced roller 55 on the pin 65-A which can roll along the interior of the tube 2B-A and support one end of the plunger 96 on whose reduced outer end 8? is placed a second shock-absorbing spring 58. The end 61 passes between the rollers 69 which are mounted on the pins 10 which are supported in the head H and held by the screws 12-A. On the tip of the end 91 is secured a clip 12 to which the tow rod 29 is attached'by the bolt 36.

With this type of arm, the bolt 35 may move radially in either direction until stopped by the springs 63 or 68.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that there is provided a unique and safe form of amusement device for children where the childs ability to maneuver the car is limited automatically to a period in which it is being towed under the control of the operator in charge, during which time he can steer it to any radial position on the track but he cannot collide with another car or pass it or be passed by another car.

The purpose of automatically steering the car toward the inside rail as it slows down is to prevent accidents like clearing the course of cars while the cars are being loaded or unloaded; that is, the cars are all parked against the inside rail instead of in various positions on the track where passengers could be injured in going to and from the cars and by the starting of the cars when people were on the track. The cars cannot be steered unless they are being towed; that is, when the pull on the tow rod 29 exceeds the urge of the spring 55 at the end of its leverage that is the outer end of the link 42.

I claim:

1. An amusement device having in combina-- tion a circular track, a plurality of towing arms radiating from the center of said track and revolvable above the plane of said track, each of said towing arms having a slide mounted thereon adapted to move radially across a portion of said track, a car mounted on said track behind the outer end of the towing arm, car spindles for said car, a tubular arm extending from one of the car spindles, a tow rod slidably extending through said tubular arm and joined to the slide on said tow arm, a steering wheel on said car and steering linkage to said car spindles, said linkage being connected to the rearmost end of said tow rod, and a spring attached to said car and to said linkage for urging said car to turn toward the innermost side of the track.

2. An amusement device having in combination a circular track, having a plurality of radial tow arms mounted to be driven above the center of said track with the outermost ends of said arms extending above said track, said arm having a slide thereon adapted to move radially across said track, a Wheeled car mounted on said track having a steering wheel and a pair of steerable front wheels, linkage for transferring motion from said steering wheel to said steerable wheels including a car spindle for each steerable wheel, one of said car spindles having a tubular arm attached thereto, a tow rod attached to said slide and extending through said tubular arm and having its rearmost end attached to said linkage, a spring for urging said linkage to cause a left turn and a butler spring on said tow bar between the rearmost end of said tubular arm and the adjacent end of said linkage.

3. An amusement device comprising a circular track in combination with a car mounted on said track, said car having car spindles for mounting the front wheels of the car, said spindles having steering linkage connected thereto, a towing arm mounted on the center of said track and having a slide thereon, said car having a tubular arm on one of its car spindles, and a tow rod connected to said slide, the other end of said rod passing through said tubular arm and connecting to the steering linkage of the car.

LEE U. EYERLY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Y Number Name Date 1,549,927 Sherry Aug. 18, 1925 1,759,170 Sherry May 20, 1930 2,546,917 Bergen Mar. 27, 1951 

